Founded in April 1991, CENIT, is a nonprofit, nongovernmental organization located in el barrio el Camal in Quito, Ecuador, devoted to helping working and vulnerable children, especially girls, and their families to overcome grinding poverty and to improve their quality of life. We hope to contribute to the gradual reduction and eventual elimination of child labor, while promoting the integral development of children and adolescent through preventative actions in education, health, nutrition and strengthening intra-familial and social relations.

2. Can you expand on ‘working children’ and the problems they face in Ecuador?

“Working children” are children whose families’ economic situations require that they too participate in the work force, whether in the market, polishing shoes, selling candies, or contributing significantly to domestic chores, in order to help support their family members. The girls, if they are able to go to school, also have to work outside the house, then help with the domestic chores, limiting their application to school work. Because the parents of working children have sometimes not finished primary schooling, they are unable to help with the assignments, thus reducing the in-home active support.

3. What significant impact have volunteer projects had on CENIT’s efforts in Equador?

With the ideas from over 900 volunteers from all over the world that have been working for CENIT, CENIT has changed a lot. The whole production department at CENIT, a partnership program for CENIT's High School students, a psychology project, the web page and the inevitable construction of ex-volunteer donor foundations are achievements amongst others that have made a long-term impact on CENIT as institution and work.

4. Has technology and the rise of social media impacted your interaction with volunteers and/or the support you provide to them?

Technology and social media have greatly increased our ability to maintain contact with our current and former volunteers. We are able to send out notes to the current volunteers to keep them up-to-date with plans. We are also able to give daily updates through social media platforms, therefore reminding former volunteers of what they were once, and continue to be, a part of. By sending these updates via internet, we are able to not spend excessive money on international mailings, leaving more money for the projects here.

5. How can organizations such as CENIT utilize the Volunteer Forever platform to help volunteers during their experience?

Organizations can utilize the Volunteer Forever platform to encourage volunteers to raise funds for their time in Ecuador as well as for the organization itself. We can encourage volunteers to add recommendations and reviews of the organization on the platform in order to spread the word about the organization, as more and more potential volunteers are looking for opportunities online.

6. What is your best volunteer abroad-related memory and why?

My best volunteer abroad-related memory occurred while I was giving Physical Education classes to CENIT's primary school, which gives students with an age range from 12 to 17 years the opportunity to achieve basic education. As a lot of students lacked the ability to swim we set up free swimming classes. It was very interesting and a really a great experience to observe and take part in the process of students learning how to swim. As a start many students were plagued with fear of the contact with water and they needed to learn how to trust themselves but also me and my volunteer companion as instructors. But with time more and more students reached the point where they happily presented their accomplishment with a big smile and well-earned pride, which in turn filled me and my volunteer teacher companion with delight and pride.

7. Do you have any advice for first-time volunteers?

Get involved. Just go, and try to make the most of it. Listen to your volunteer coordinator, but also take initiative and recognize the needs of the community. Try to learn a lot by talking with the Ecuadorian staff, let them explain the population and the situations you deal with to you. By engaging with the other volunteers, the programs, and the location, you get as much as you are able to give.